Sheet segregating mechanism



Sept. 28,1937. H. s. BRAAM 2,093,992

QHEET SEGREGATlNG MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1955 "nul 12 P 1." 9

Patented Sept. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Dean H. Whitehead, Chicago, 111., and onehalf to John R. Nalbach, Oak Park, Ill.

Application January 23, 1935, Serial No. 3,021

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet segregating mechanism.

Duplicating machines frequently are used for producing a number of copies of records which are to be distributed to particular departments or divisions of a business establishment, the particular copies for each department being suitably identified as by colored bands, numerals or by other indicia.

I Thus in duplicating an order for goods, copies may be required for the following departments, for example,shipping, cost, production, credit, etc. In producing such and other copies on a duplicating machine which, in the conventional manner discharges all copies into a receiving tray, the various copies for the different departments or files must later be segregated, thereby entailing additional time and labor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism which can be used in conjunction with a duplicating or other printing machine to receive and segregate sheets of a series into desired groups.

Another object of the invention is to provide sheet segregating mechanism which can be actuated manually, by the operator of the printing machine, or automatically by means operating in conjunction with the particular machine with which the improvements are used.

An additional object is to provide mechanism comprising a plurality of trays or compartments each for receiving a particular group of sheets discharged from a duplicating or other printing machine, and operating means for moving said trays or compartments into predetermined position for receiving the sheets of a particular group, Whether the sheets of a group are delivered consecutively by the printing machine or are delivered sequentially with respect to other sheets forming additional groups.

Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a broken side elevation illustrating an embodiment of the present improvements operatively associated with a sheet discharge mechanism of a duplicating or similar machine.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a broken horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a broken side elevation 01' a modification comprising mechanism for automatically moving the sheet receiving trays successively to sheet receiving position.

In the drawing l illustrates a portion of a duplicating machine including a drum II which carries the master copy or the gelatin band. The member ll may, of course, represent a conventional printing roller of a printing machine.

Stripping rolls l2 and 13 are illustrated which strip the sheets 01' paper, one oil which is illustrated at It, from the drum ll, after the impressions have been made on the sheets. A paper guide I5 of conventional form is also illustrated for directing the sheets upon an inclined slide l8 which is carried by the frame I! of the improvements. Generally a tray is employed for receiving the sheets H as they issue from between the stripping rolls l2 and I3.

With the present improvements the sheets when freed from the rolls will slideacross the surface of the inclined member lSinto one of the trays with which the improvements are provided.

In the form illustrated, seven trays [8 are pro vided. The trays are carried by vertical supporting members 20 which are slidable vertically in brackets 2| which are attached to the upper horizontal frame members 22 of the frame I1. Also secured to each of the supporting members 20 are rack bars 23 provided with teeth, the distance between which preferably is equal to the distance between the vertically spaced trays l8.

Pivotally secured to the horizontal frame members 22 are pawls 2| which are pressed by springs 25 normally into engagement with the teeth of the racks for sustaining the tray mechanism in the desired position.

A lever 28 which is pivoted at 21 is provided with a pedal 28 at one end and a yoke at its opposite end comprising arms 29, and is employed for elevating the trays step by step in the mechanism illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

The arms 29 have pawls 80 pivotally secured thereto, which pawls are pressed by springs 3| normally into position for engaging the teeth of the racks 23. Thus when the pedal 28 is pressed downwardly by the operator, the arms 29 and pawls 80 will move upwardly and elevate the racks and supporting members 20 and the trays carried by the latter. Thus when a sheet of paper has been discharged into the upper tray l8, shown in Figure 1, the operator will press down on the pedal 28 and move the trays upwardly as a unit until the second tray I8 is in alignment or registration with the sheet discharge mechanism oi. the machine.

It will be noted that the pawls 24 will engage the teeth of the racks and sustain the trays in the newly elevated position as the springs 26a return the lever 26 to the position shown in Figure 1 upon release of the same by the operator. Pressing down on the lever 28 again a given distance will move the third tray l8 into registration with the sheet discharge mechanism for receiving the third sheet of paper discharged from the machine. The upward movement of the pedal end of lever 24 under the action of the springs 26a can be controlled by the foot of the operator although a simple transverse stop 28b preferably is provided to prevent clockwise movement of the lever beyond the position shown in Figure 1.

Thus it will be seen that the sheets coming from the machine in repeated series can be segregated into groups as desired. If the operator first runs a number of similar sheets which are to be kept separate from subsequent sheets they can be discharged into one of the trays and a second group of similar sheets but difiering from the first group can be discharged into the second tray, and so forth.

Mechanism is provided for lowering the trays to the position shown in Figure 1, which is operable by means of the lever 26. This mechanism comprises stops 32 to which are secured brackets 23. Pivoted to the brackets 33 are levers 34 the outer ends of which are pivoted to the links 35 which at their upper ends are plvotally connected to the arms 24a of the pawls 24. The vertical distance between the arms 30a of the pawls l0 and the stops 32 is slightly greater than the distance between successive teeth of the racks 23. It will be seen therefore that in elevating the trays step by step, that is, the distance of one tray at a time, the arms 40a will not strike the stops 22. However, when it is desired to lower the trays the pedal 24 is pushed downwardly a distance slightly greater than is necessary for elevating the trays, whereupon the arms 300 will first engage the stops I2 and disengage the pawls 30 from the rack bar Slightly further upward movement of the pawls by continuing the downward pressure on the pedal 24 causes the upper ends 30b of the pawls to strike the inwardly directed ends 34a of the levers 44 and thus move the same pivotaliy. Such movement results in the links 35 being moved downwardly until the pawls 24 also are disengaged from the rack. The rack can thus descend by gravity to a lower position.

A conventional dash-pot 86 in which operates a plunger 41 carried by a cross head 38 which in turn is secured to the members 20 cushions the descent of the trays as they approach the lowermost position.

It will be seen that the trays may be released from a v elevated position by pressing the pedal 28 downwardly the necessary extent. Thus an operator may segregate any number of groups of sheets less than the entire number of trays shown, when desired.

In the modification of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, the trays are elevated automatically by means of power derived from the printing or duplicating machine.

The roll 39 may correspond to the roll ll of Figure 1, and it has mounted on the shaft .40 thereof a cam 4|. The cam normally is disposed in the same plane as the rock lever 42 which is connected to or formed as a part of the lever 43 which corresponds to that portion of the lever 26 at the right hand of the pivot 21.

As the shaft 40 rotates, the cam 4| moves the lever 42 to the left, thus elevating the arms 43 of the lever and lifting the racks by means of the ratchet mechanism above described.

Extending from the lever 43 is the extension 44 which carries a pedal, not shown, corresponding to the pedal 28. when the operator wishes to return the trays to lower position the pedal of lever 44 is pressed downwardly an extent sumcient to move the lever arm 43 upwardly to bring the horizontal arms of the pawls 10a into contact with the stops 82, as shown in Figure 2, to effect the disengagement of the pawls from the rack bars.

In running sheets through conventional duplicating machines, not infrequently a sheet becomes crumpled and must be discarded, and another sheet run through in substitution therefor. Where the automatically operated segregating mechanism is employed, it is desirable under such circumstances to hold the trays stationary until such duplicate sheet has been run through the machine and discharged into its proper tray. To enable the duplicating machine to operate while the automatically driven segregating mechanism remains stationary. the cam 4i may be provided with a collar 45 cooperating with which is a shifting lever 48 which may be pivoted at 41 to any suitable portion oi the duplicating machine. The cam 4| and collar 44 are shiftable lengthwise on the shaft 40 by means of the member 44 whereby the cam can be moved out of the plane of the arm 42 by the operator. While the cam 4| operates with the drum 49 the lever 42 will remain stationary if the cam has been shifted to inoperative position. After the operator has run the substitute sheet into the proper tray of the segregating apparatus, the cam may be returned to normal operative position for efi'ecting the automatic elevation of the trays as will be understood.

Each of the trays I8 is shown provided with a slidable extension 44 which may be frictionally secured to the lower sides of the tray by means of the members 49. The extensions 48 can be drawn outwardly as desired to increase the efiective length of the trays for accommodating sheets of different lengths.

The invention has been described specifically in conjunction with the use of a printing machine which may be a conventional duplicating machine or any other mechanism which discharges sheets, cards or the like after an operation thereon. The term sheets has been used generically, and it will be seen that the machine is adapted for segregating sheets generally designated as "cards" as well as sheets usually used for printing or duplicating purposes.

While I have shown and described an embodiment of my improvements for the purpose of iilustration, I do not wish to be restricted specifically thereto except as so limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a discharge mechanism of a printing machine, of sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of sheet receiving compartments, means supporting said compartments for movement as a unit relatively to said mechanism, means for effecting the movement of said compartments from initial position in predetermined sequence into sheet receiving position with respect to said mechanism and means for selectively interrupting the sequential movement of said trays and effecting the uninterrupted return movement of the same to initial position.

2. The combination with a discharge mechanism of a printing machine of sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of vertically movable sheet receiving trays, means supporting said trays for successive movement from a given position into position for receiving sheets discharged from said mechanism, means for moving said trays successively into said position and manually operable means for effecting the return 20 movement of the trays from any sheet receiving position to said given position.

The combination with a sheet discharge mechanism of a printing machine of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced trays, means for supporting said trays for movement from a given position into position for receiving sheets discharged by said mechanism, means comprising a pawl and rack arranged for moving said trays successively into position for receiving sheets from said discharge mechanism and means for selectively disengaging said pawl and rack mechanism for efiecting the uninterrupted return of said trays to said given position from any sheet receiving position.

4. The combination with a sheet discharge mechanism of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced trays, means supporting said trays for movement as a unit with respect to said discharge mechanism, means for moving said trays intermittently from initial position for effecting the successive registration of the same with said discharge mechanism and means for releasing said tray moving means for effecting the uninterrupted return movement of said trays from any position of registration to said initial position.

5. The combination with a sheet discharge mechanism of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of vertically spaced trays,

means supporting said trays for vertical movement as a unit for successive registration of the trays with said discharge mechanism, means comprising a rack and pawl mechanism for elevating said trays intermittently a distance corresponding to the spacing of the trays for eflecting such registration, and means for releasing said pawl and rack mechanism for effecting the free return of said trays to lowermost position from any elevated position.

6. The combination with a sheet discharge mechanism of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of vertically spaced trays, means supporting said trays for vertical movement as a unit for successive registration of the trays with said discharge mechanism, means comprising a rack and pawl mechanism for elevating said trays intermittently a distance corresponding to the spacing of the trays for efiecting such registration, and means for disengaging said 50 pawl mechanism from said rack for effecting the return of said trays to lowermost position.

7. The combination with a sheet discharge mechanism of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of vertically spaced trays, means for supporting said trays for vertical movement of the same successively into sheet receiving position with respect to said discharge mechanism, elevating means comprising pawl and rack mechanism for moving said trays up wardly, a manually operable lever for actuating said elevating mechanism, and means controlled by the movement of said lever for releasing the pawl from the rack to efiect the descent of said trays to lower position.

8. The combination with a printing machine having a sheet discharge mechanism of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a pluralityof vertically spaced trays, means for supporting said trays for vertical movement of the same successively into sheet receiving position with respect to said discharge mechanism, elevating means comprising pawl and rack mechanism for moving said trays upwardly, a lever automatically operable by said machine for actuating said elevating mechanism, and manual means for releasing the pawl from the rack to effect the descent of said trays to lower position.

9. The combination with a printing machine having a sheet discharge mechanism, of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of sheet receiving compartments, means supporting said compartments for movement from initial position into successive registration with said discharge mechanism, means operable by said machine for actuating said compartments successively into said position, manual means for rendering said actuating means inoperative during the operation of said machine and means for effecting the uninterrupted return of said compartments to initial position.

10. The combination with a duplicating machine having a rotary member and sheet discharge means, of a receptacle carrier, a plurality of sheet receptacles carried thereby, a rack for said carrier, a pawl positioned for operative engagement with said rack, means operable by said rotary member for actuating said pawl for moving said rack and carrier in a direction to effect the successive registration of the trays with the sheet discharge means, and control means for confining the segregating action to a selected number of said receptacles.

11. The combination with a discharge mechanism of a printing machine, of a sheet segregating apparatus comprising a plurality of movable sheet receiving compartments, means adapted to move said compartments in repeated cycles wherein all the compartments successively are in sheet receiving position, and means for interrupting the actuation of said compartments by said moving means whereby less thanthe total number of compartments can be moved successively into sheet receiving position.

HAROLD S. BRAAM. 

